Jennifer Garner opens up about the "knot of anger" in season two

The third episode of the second season of The Last Thing He Told Me, titled “Reunion”, has introduced a pivotal shift in the series’ emotional landscape.

Following a high-stakes escape, Hannah (Jennifer Garner) and Bailey (Angourie Rice) seek refuge in Arizona at the home of Hannah's estranged mother, Carol, portrayed by Rita Wilson.

The episode, directed by Miguel Arteta, marks a transition from relentless action to a grounded exploration of Hannah’s traumatic upbringing.

Garner praised Wilson’s arrival, noting the depth she brought to the role of a mother who once abandoned her child. “She brought the gravitas of a mother who had left her child and had years and years before they were seeing each other again,” Garner told Deadline.

The actress explained that understanding Hannah’s "stayed and solemn" nature was crucial, as "there’s this little knot of anger and hurt and sadness inside of her, and it all really revolves around this woman.”

The episode’s title also references the complicated return of Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Despite the yearning for a romantic reconciliation, the encounter is fraught with the pain of past deception.

Garner reflected on the nuanced reaction of her character, suggesting that a warm embrace would have lacked integrity. “The truth is, I think she wanted that too, but she just couldn’t do it. The betrayal had been too big, the damage had been too large,” she observed.

As the season progresses, viewers are left questioning whether the central love story can truly survive the weight of such profound betrayal.